Coffin-fastener



(No Mom.)

L. E. WOODARD.

GQFFIN P A'STBNBR. No. 420,290. Patented Jan. 28, 1890'.

:7.1- FB I v UNITED STATES' ATnNr Prien.

LYMAN E. WOODARD, OF OVOSSO, MICHIGAN.

COFFlN-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 420,290, dated January28, 1890. Application iled'Novemher l2, 1889, .Serial No. 330,03).` (Nomodel.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYMAN E. WooDARn, a citizen of theUnited States,residing at Owosso, in the county of Shiawassee and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coffin-LidFasteners; and I4 do hereby declare that the following is a f ull,

clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theannexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to theletters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements incoffin-lid fasteners, and is designed more particularly as animprovement upon the device for which I obtained a patent dated August27, 1889, No. 410,060.

It has for its obj ect, among others, Vto provide an improved fastenerwhich can be readily operated both to open or close the coffin orcasket, the fastening being so arranged that both a sidewise and endwisemovement of the lid is required to remove or properly attach it.

The invention in the present case resides in the peculiar combinationsand the novel construction, arrangement, and adaptation of parts, all aslmore fully hereinafter described, shown in the drawings, and thenparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of thisspecification, and in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectionthrough a coffin or casket showing my improved fastenings appliedthereto. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the line .fr a: ofFig. 1. Fig 3 is a perspective view ofthe improved fastener removed andin a reverse position, with the keeper in dotted lines in its positionrelative to the fastener. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the keeperdetached and reversed. modified form of keeper.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalviews.

Referring now to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates acoffin or casket of any of the usual forms, and provided with a lid orcover B, a designating the head, and b the foot, of the coffin orcasket.

Fig. 5 is a detail showing aV At the foot of the coffin or casket lattach a keeper c, set iiush with the upper face thereof and notchedupon its inner edge witha space beneath the same for the passage of theend of the lip d, attached to the under side of the end of the lid, asshown clearly in Fig. 1. Upon one side of the casket or coiiin, upon theupper edge thereof, I place a like keeper e, designed to receive a likelip or tongue f, attached to the under side of the lid at the side, asshown clearly in Fig. 2. In order to place the lid upon the casket, -itis necessary to first elevate one end and engage the end lip d beneathits keepenthen drop the lidvto a horizontal position and give it aslight movement sidewise toward the keeper e, when the lip f will engagebeneath the said keeper, as shown in Fig. 2. Thus it is necessary togive the lid rst a movement endwise and then at right angles thereto.After it has been given its sidewise movement and as it seats itself inplace upon the casket or coffin it is locked in this position by meansof my improved fastener, which I will now describe. Upon the under sideof the lid, opposite the keeper e and lip f, is the plate C, whichserves as a keeper, being provided with suitable holes for the passageof the screws or other securing means and formed with a right-angledportion g, which is beveled inward toward the center of the lid and isprovided with an elongated slot or opening h, for the passage of thelatch hereinafter described. Y

D is a plate provided with suitable holes for the passage of the meanswhich are employed to secure it Ato the upper edge of the casket orcoffin, it being designed to be seated in a recess or chamber therein.This plate is also formed upon its under side with two right-angledportions fi and j, one j being slightly inclined to form a perpendicularto correspond with the inclination of the inner wall of the coffin whendesigned for use upon coftins in which the inner wall is inclined, butof course when designed for coffins having vertical walls this portionwill not be inclined. These portions c' and j are not in the same plane,but one is out of line with the other, and both are provided with slotsor openings, as shown in Fig. 3, for a purpose clearly shown in saidfigure.

IOO

E is an elbow-lever pivoted at its elbow, as

at le, to the plate D, with one arm passed through the opening in theright-angled portion i and turned over upon itself to form a finger-holdby which it may be more easily operated. The other arm of this lever eX-tends normally lengthwise of the plate D, and at its free end is formedwith a right-angled portion beveled, as shown in Fig. 3, to form thelatch and passed through the opening in the portion j, as shown in saidFig. 3.

F is a spring attached at onepend to the portion z' of the plate and atthe other end attached to the longitudinal arm of the elbowlever E nearits free end.

The spring-catch above described acts, in conjunction vwith the catchesat the end and side of the lid, to form a secure fastening for the lidat both the head and foot of said casket.

In Fig. 5 I have shown the portion `g as formed upon a curve with whichthe end of the bolt engages to draw the lid down closer, the end of thebolt being also inclined to facilitate this operation.

What I claim as new isl. An improved fastening device for coffinlids,consisting of a plate formed with rightangled portions, a leverpivotally connected with said plate and having one arm Working throughan opening in one of said right-angled portions, and the other end orarm of said lever shaped into a latch and Working through an opening inthe other portion, substantially as described and shown. A

2. The combination, with a keeper, of a plate formed with right-angledportions in different planes, an elbow-lever pivoted to said plate, withone arm working through a slot in one of said portions and the otherextending snbstantially parallel with the plate and shaped at its freeend into a beveledor curved latch working through a hole in the otherportion, and a spring attached at one end to the free end of thehorizontal arm which extends parallel with the plate and at the otherend Yattached to the right-angled portion through which the handleportion of the lever Works, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two witnesses.

E. W. WooDwARD, GEO. G. FOWLER.

